…and there’s ANOTHER meetin’ tonight.
By odd coincidence, both Vermont and neighboring New Hampshire have public meetings scheduled, not for “tonight” but for Sept. 25, to discuss Vermont Yankee’s decommissioning.
In Vermont, the Citizens Advisory Panel on decommissioning VY is scheduled to meet next Thursday from 6-9 pm, at Brattleboro Union High School.
At exactly the same time, “various New Hampshire agencies” have booked a panel discussion and “informational meeting” at Hinsdale Middle/High School for its own affected residents.
The panel discussion slated for 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 25 will include officials from the departments of Resources and Economic Development, Environmental Services, and Homeland Security and Emergency Management; the Division of Public Health Services; members of the Southwest Regional Planning Commission and Gov. Maggie Hassan’s Working Group on the Vermont Yankee Decommissioning.
One would think that concerned folks on either side of the state line might wish to attend both meetings.
I could not help wondering which meeting was consigned to the calendar first. It would be a shrewd way to ensure that the well-organized effort that opposed Vermont Yankee’s continued operation would not have a full-strength presence in public discussions of decommissioning issues.
Or am I just being cynical?
Another VY head scratcher is who is behind the telephone poll asking Brattleboro residents some leading questions about how supportive they would be of nuclear energy emerging again in Vermont’s future?
The 17-question poll, which was conducted on telephone lines based in Fairfax, Va., asked “Generally speaking, how supportive are you of nuclear energy as a reliable source of carbon-free electricity?”
From the poll:
“Because of the hearty winter last year, there is a much greater reliance on burning oil to generate power, which resulted in higher carbon emissions to produce Vermont’s energy,” one question stated. “In the future, as an alternative to oil-fired power plants, would you be more or less supportive of safe nuclear power generation along with wind, solar and other zero-carbon energy sources?”
…And, if a
“new, regionally-based energy generating company with more local management and governance operating Vermont’s power plants like Vermont Yankee?”
Vermont Yankee spokesman Martin Cohn denied any involvement with the poll, as did Green Mountain Power spokesperson, Dorothy Schnure.
Commissioner of the Dept. of Public Service, Chris Recchia first heard about it from a polled resident, but insists the idea of a VY resurrection is next to impossible.
So far, no one appears ready to ‘fess up…but has anyone given Yes Vermont Yankee a buzz?
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I am very proud to be associated with Fairewinds Energy Education in a non-technical capacity. As always, the opinions I share on Green Mountain Daily are my own alone and not those of Fairewinds.
I have heard some vague chatter about placing another nuclear power plant at the Vermont Yankee site. I wonder if the push-poll is another step towards such a plan? Or just a message test?
Talking to NH State Senator Kelly’s office about assisting her in her position on the Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel, they were unaware of the Vermont Meeting on the same night as the Hinsdale meeting. Senator Kelly represents 4 of the 5 NH towns to be represented on the Panel, Hinsdale among them.
This is just lack of coordination, not a conspiracy.
When things are not perfect, it is much more often human error, not planned.
The meeting in NH has been cancelled and will be re-scheduled: http://www.sentinelsource.com/…
Now that the Hinsdale meeting has been cancelled, where is the conspiracy? I know! Get the antis all together in one place so they can be identified! (There’s always a conspiracy somewhere!!)
The lack of coordination was between NH and Vermont. What was VT to tell NH before Sen. Kelly was appointed? “Whoever you appoint, tell them that we are thinking about having a meeting before the end of September?” There won’t be any problems like this in decommissioning because the states have nothing to say about how it is done.
Human error? It was expected and planned for from the beginning, based on experience with all earlier technologies?
Unknown effects? How about dead bats and eagles from wind turbines? To say nothing of having to take down wind turbines because of the negative effects on the health of people nearby (Hull,MA).
Coordination? How about building a wind farm and after it is operating and having to curtail power, then building the needed synchronous condenser?
How about asking Arnie Gundersen what he thinks of the progress made in removing the fuel from the Fukushima-Daiichi unit 4 pool – the one he said had a crticallity.